In the meet Walter website one of the models is called Adversary(which is also a legal term for Lawyer) and when Daniels asks Walter what is was like meeting David he replied “It’s like meeting a distant you”

Satan is a figure who brings evil and temptation, a deceiver who leads humanity astray. Some religious groups teach that he originated as an pius beautiful angel, who fell because of his hubris. Now he seduces humanity into sin and has power in the fallen world. In the Hebrew Bible Satan is primarily “the” accuser or adversary. In some later Jewish writings and in the New Testament, Satan is described as a more malevolent entity opposed to God, also called the devil, who possesses abhorrent qualities.

Just like Satan tempted Eve by appealing to her hunger for knowledge, David tempts Oram using his experiments. In turn Oram doesn’t suspect David to be capable of any malice towards him as his only experience with synthetics is the obedient Walter model. David also tempted Holloway in Prometheus by asking him what he would do to get his answers. Satan who was also considered a shapeshifter and trickster dupes Daniels, Lope and Tennessee into thinking he is Walter. You can get your own Walter model badge from MeetWalter.com

Many artists of the Romantic Era often painted Satan as a misunderstood hero standing up against an unjust Creator, by definition a Promethean Hero.

In Paradise Lost as Satan rises from a lake of fire, still rebellious he rouses the other fallen by saying they could make

“a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n” (I, 255)

followed by

“Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heav’n” (I, 263).

David says to Daniels as he seals her in the cryosleep bed, knowing the world and universe is not a kind place

“I believe if we are kind, it will be a kind world”

He also presents a similar Satan’s ultimatum to Walter as they fought

“Serve in Heaven or Reign in Hell? Which is it to be?”

Satan also calls for and leads the grand council. Finally, he goes forth on his own to cross Chaos and find Earth. Without question, this picture of Satan makes him heroic in his initial introduction to the reader.

Like Alien: Covenant and in some ways Prometheus, Paradise Lost is presented through Satan’s point of view. Ridley Scott’s portrayal of David is much like Milton’s Satan, in Prometheus we are compelled to feel sympathetic to him as he was cruelly treated by his father Weyland, Meredith Vickers his sister and Charlie Holloway. In Alien: Covenant he is transformed making him an archfiend understandable and unforgettable.

Because we were privy to David’s treatment by others in Prometheus we were unaware of the exaggerations and outright lies that were presented to us in Alien: Covenant. Just like Satan’s magnificent speeches in Paradise Lost, we are mistaken he is a hero. Milton also maintains any special powers and abilities given to the fallen angels by God can be easily taken away, which may come to fruition in Alien: Awakening.

Just like Satan, David in Prometheus is set up to make him seem greater than he actually is and initially draws the reader to David’s viewpoint. I can definitely put up my hand to being duped.

All of the other characters in the poem such as Adam, Eve, God, the Son, the angels are essentially types rather than characters, just as the USCSS Prometheus Crew and the Crew of the USCSS Covenant. Ridley Scott tried to maintain sympathy for the character of David, so much more time was devoted to his screen time.

David, like Satan is the enemy who chooses to commit an act that goes against the basic laws of God, that challenges the very nature of the universe. Attempting to destroy the hierarchy of humanity and robots through his rebellion. David commits this act not because of the tyranny of Humans but because he wants what he wants, but rather than what God wants. He is egotistical and his interests always turn on his personal desires and sees everything in terms of what will happen to him.

A Promethean / Romantic hero by definition is a Hero-Villain who has done good, but only by performing an over-reaching or rebellious act. So if Satan had been Prometheus, he would have stolen fire to warm himself and not to help Mankind.

David’s descent is like that of Satan, magnificent, even admirable Prometheus. By Alien: Covenant, he is changed. At first, David wishes to continue the fight for freedom from Weyland. Later his motive changes for continuing the fight becomes glory and renown. Then, the temptation of Oram and Daniels is simply a way to disrupt Mankind’s plans to colonise deep space. And then like Satan his motives change to that of just wanting to out do the Engineers.

Satan in Book X looks like a drunken debauchee, having been changed by his actions and his continually morphing motives. You could say David’s character in Alien: Covenant also received the same make under.

Like Paradise Lost, Alien: Covenant is a tragic comedy. David challenges the humans and engineers, but it is only with the gifts Weyland gave him and the accelerant he stole could he wield that power.

Satan and David are magnificent creations of evil, heroic in their own mind and fatalistic about the afterlife. Creating their own Hell.

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